Browsing: October 13

A Brief History By October 13, 2019, numerous reports have come out from across the United States over the preceding months that nearly 1,300 people have been sickened by a mysterious form of lipoid pneumonia – an illness in which oil becomes trapped in the lungs and is attacked by the body’s immune system. Doctors have searched for an underlying pathogen such as a virus or bacteria, and they have found none. Many of the victims of this disease have required treatment in intensive care units. Some have required ventilator support. At least 26 people have died. The connection between…

A Brief History On October 13, 1792, the cornerstone for the White House was laid in the capital city of the United States, known as Washington, D.C. (the city of Washington within the District of Columbia).  While commonly referred to as “The White House” (because it is white?), the real name of the presidential residence is the United States Executive Mansion. A well known residence throughout the world, in the US the “White House” is a term often used synonymously with “the President” or “the Administration.”  Around the world there are similar iconic residences of national leaders, and today we…

A Brief History On October 13, 2013 (too many “13’s” in that date?), 115 Indians were killed and another 110 injured during the Hindu festival of Navratri at the Ratangahr Mata Temple in India when a stampede occurred on a bridge.  Today, we list 10 such unhappy times when a religious activity or celebration went terribly wrong.  (BTW, Today, October 13, 2017, is Friday the 13th!) Digging Deeper 1. Navratri Festival, 2013. A common Indian Hindu festival held each Autumn for 10 days and 9 nights, the method and reason for celebrating varies from region to region.  Dancing, recitals, plays, rituals…

A Brief History On October 13, 1775, an order of the Continental Congress established the Continental Navy, later better known as the United States Navy, the greatest maritime fighting force the world has ever seen. Digging Deeper During the American Revolution there was little time to build a world class navy that could go toe to toe with the British Royal Navy, then the grandest fleet in the world.  Still, merchant ships were pressed into duty as fighting ships armed with cannon, and despite some remarkably able and courageous engagements, the effect on the Revolution was minimal, with the French…

Digging Deeper On October 13, 1929, Joze Plecnik, Slovenian architect, revealed his memorial to Napoleon Bonaparte on the Square of the French Revolution in Ljubljana, Slovenia.  A major influence on the architecture of Slovenia, Plecnik was not a favorite of the communists after World War II and fell from influence.  Plecnik and others have left beautiful, imposing, or impressive memorials and monuments to remind us of those memorialized.  Here we list 10 of the author’s favorites, not necessarily the most famous or biggest, but the ones that touch or impress me the most. Digging Deeper 10. Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument,…